Piper PA-32-300 accident near Ruidoso, New Mexico, August 13, 1985
On August 13, 1985 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N2905B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ruidoso, New Mexico (Ruisoso airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1985 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Ruidoso, New Mexico · Ruisoso · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N2905B · registry record · serial 7940194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS 20 LBS OVER THE MAX GROSS WEIGHT. PLT SAID HE ABORTED THE FIRST TAKEOFF DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. THE PLT PERFORMED A RUNUP AND ATTEMPTED A SECOND TAKEOFF WHICH WAS ABORTED AGAIN DUE TO ROUGH RUNNING ENG. THE ACFT RAN OFF END OF RWY AND STRUCK A DITCH. THE ENG WAS EXAMINED AFTER ACCIDENT AND WAS FOUND TO BE CAPABLE OF NORMAL OPERATION. THE DENSITY ALT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 9521 FT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: PNX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from R4I
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN85LA217.